| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings. | 1James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: To the 12 tribes in the Dispersion. Greetings. |
| 2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, | 2Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, |
| 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. | 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. |
| 4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. | 4But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. |
| 5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. | 5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. |
| 6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. | 6But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. |
| 7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; | 7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. |
| 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. | 8An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways. |
| 9Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, | 9The brother of humble circumstances should boast in his exaltation, |
| 10but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. | 10but the one who is rich should boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field. |
| 11For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits. | 11For the sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will wither away while pursuing his activities. |
| 12Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. | 12A man who endures trials is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. |
| 13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. | 13No one undergoing a trial should say, "I am being tempted by God." For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn't tempt anyone. |
| 14But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. | 14But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. |
| 15Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. | 15Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death. |
| 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. | 16Don't be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. |
| 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. | 17Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. |
| 18Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. | 18By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures. |
| 19So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; | 19My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, |
| 20for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. | 20for man's anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. |
| 21Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. | 21Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and evil, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save you. |
| 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | 22But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. |
| 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; | 23Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror. |
| 24for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. | 24For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. |
| 25But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. | 25But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works--this person will be blessed in what he does. |
| 26If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. | 26If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, then his religion is useless and he deceives himself. |
| 27Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. | 27Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world. |
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